Lotte Hotel Seoul Executive Tower

A Flagship Tower Rebuilt Around Fewer, Larger Rooms

Lotte Hotel Seoul's Executive Tower reopened in 2018 after a revamp that cut the room count from 373 to 278, a deliberate trade of volume for space, widening Deluxe Rooms and upgrading the facilities throughout. The tower sits at the centre of Myeongdong, one of Seoul's oldest commercial districts, and carries the kind of old-school five-star scale that newer boutique openings rarely attempt: a 15th-floor club lounge billed as the largest in the country, private meeting rooms, and a 16th-floor lounge reserved entirely for Executive guests. It is a hotel built for travellers who want size and ceremony as much as design.

Why It Works

It works because the tower backs its scale with genuine specialists rather than generic five-star amenities. Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul, on the 35th floor, holds two Michelin stars and gives the hotel a dining room that competes on its own terms, not as a hotel restaurant with a famous name attached. The Royal Suite pushes the same logic into the guestrooms, with a C. Bechstein grand piano among the world's finest and the largest bed sold in Korea. Pierre's Bar, recast with ten signature cocktails and a serious single malt list, extends that same specificity downstairs into the evening.

Why This Location

Myeongdong is Seoul's busiest shopping district by day, but the Executive Tower's position lets guests step past the crowds into Euljiro's older, quieter commercial streets within a few minutes. The area sits close to Seoul Station and the wider Jung-gu business district, useful for travellers mixing meetings with sightseeing. Namsan and its cable car are an easy taxi ride away for an evening view over the city. The surrounding neighbourhood trades scenic drama for pure convenience, everything from shopping to transit within walking distance.

Fast Facts

• Prix: €€€€

• Vibe: old-school five-star grandeur, Michelin-anchored dining

• Chambres: 278, including the Royal Suite (largest of its kind in South Korea)

• Best For: travellers who want flagship scale and a genuinely exceptional restaurant in one address

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul, a two-Michelin-star dining room on the 35th floor

• Dining: Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul (two Michelin stars), Pierre's Bar (French boutique styling, signature cocktails), Le Salon (Executive lounge: breakfast, afternoon tea, happy hour)

• Amenities: 15th-floor club lounge (largest in South Korea) with private meeting rooms, Royal Suite private fitness area with TechnoGym equipment, Valet Box laundry and packing service

• Attractions: Myeongdong shopping streets, Euljiro, Namsan cable car, Seoul Station

A Suite Built Like a Private Residence

The Royal Suite is the clearest statement of what the Executive Tower is chasing: a 4.1 billion won refresh, a living room anchored by a C. Bechstein grand piano worth roughly 50 million won, and the largest bed sold in the country. A private fitness area runs on TechnoGym equipment, and a Styler clothing management system, a first for any Lotte Hotel, handles garment care without sending anything out. Valet Box service and on-request packing assistance round out a suite designed less like a hotel room and more like a serviced residence for a short stay.

Where the Club Lounge Becomes the Point

The 15th-floor club lounge, billed as South Korea's largest, includes private meeting rooms that put it closer to a business club than a hotel perk. Le Salon, one floor up, is reserved exclusively for Executive guests and runs a full day's rhythm, breakfast, light snacks, afternoon tea and happy hour, with a Live Station offering made-to-order drinks and French-style gueridon service at the table. For guests who book into the Executive tier specifically, these two floors do as much work as the guestroom itself.

What to Know Before Booking

Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul is a destination restaurant in its own right, so a table should be booked well ahead of arrival rather than assumed on check-in. Pierre's Bar Membership, with Gold and Platinum tiers, is capped at 30 members and built for regulars rather than first-time guests, worth knowing if the bar's exclusivity is part of the draw. Myeongdong's daytime crowds are heavy, so travellers prioritising quiet should plan sightseeing outside peak shopping hours.